Clarence Valley Council, NSW
Can I short-term rent in Clarence Valley Council?
Restricted
Clarence Valley is not a blanket-capped LGA: the state 180-day non-hosted STRA cap only bites on land shown edged heavy black on the dedicated "Clarence Valley Short-term Rental Accommodation Area Map" under SEPP (Housing) 2021, council has described this as low-density housing zone land in the LGA's towns/villages, not the whole shire. Outside that mapped precinct, non-hosted STRA has no NSW-imposed day cap; hosted STRA is uncapped (365 days) everywhere, including inside the mapped precinct.
Last verified 2026-07-24 against official sources. Every fact below links to where it comes from.
The rules, fact by fact
| Rule | What applies | Applies to | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night cap |
Non-hosted STRA is capped at 180 nights per 365-day period, but only on land within the mapped Clarence Valley STRA Area Map precinct.
Under s.112(1)(b) and (3) of SEPP (Housing) 2021, Clarence Valley is a 'prescribed area' only for 'land in the Clarence Valley local government area shown edged heavy black on the Clarence Valley Short-term Rental Accommodation Area Map.' Within that mapped land, non-hosted STRA using the exempt-development pathway cannot exceed 180 days in a 365-day period. Bookings of 21 or more consecutive nights to the same guest(s) are excluded from the day count. Land in the LGA outside the mapped precinct is not a 'prescribed area' and carries no NSW-imposed non-hosted day cap under the exempt-development pathway. Exceptions: Bookings of 21+ consecutive nights to the same guest(s) don't count toward the 180-day tally. Land outside the heavy-black-edged map area is uncapped. |
Non-hosted | 2021-11-01 | Legislation |
| Planning approval |
Non-hosted STRA that exceeds the 180-day cap (or otherwise fails the exempt-development general requirements) inside the mapped precinct falls outside exempt development and needs Clarence Valley Council development consent.
Per the state framework, once a non-hosted STRA dwelling within a prescribed/mapped area (which includes the Clarence Valley precinct) exceeds its 180-day allowance under the exempt-development pathway, it is no longer permitted as exempt development. Clarence Valley Council, as the relevant consent authority and STRA Register data recipient, can monitor the register and open a compliance investigation for unauthorised development if the cap is breached without consent, which may lead to penalties or enforcement action under planning law. Exceptions: Does not apply to approved tourist/visitor accommodation (hotels, motels, B&Bs, caravan parks) which sit outside the STRA regime entirely. |
Non-hosted | 2021-11-01 | State Gov |
| Hosted vs non-hosted |
Hosted STRA in Clarence Valley (including inside the mapped 180-day precinct) has no state-imposed night cap.
SEPP (Housing) 2021 s.111 provides that development for hosted STRA is exempt development if the dwelling meets the general requirements, it imposes no day-limit condition anywhere in NSW, including within Clarence Valley's mapped day-limit precinct. The 180-day cap in s.112 applies only to non-hosted STRA. This mirrors the state default but is worth stating explicitly for Clarence Valley since the LGA does carry a local night cap for the non-hosted category. |
Hosted | 2021-11-01 | Legislation |
| Zoning |
Council has publicly described the capped precinct as low-density housing zone land in the Valley's towns and villages, not the whole LGA.
In its 9 November 2021 media release announcing the new rules, Clarence Valley Council's Director of Environment and Planning, Adam Cameron, said the changes 'affect residents in a low-density housing zone' and that those properties 'can now be rented for 180 days per year.' This confirms the SEPP map precinct is tied to low-density residential zoning rather than applying shire-wide, and council directed residents to the NSW Planning Portal to check the map against their specific property. ⚠ Our confidence in this fact is medium. Confirm with the source before relying on it. |
Non-hosted | 2021-11-01 | Council |
| Other rules |
Unlike Byron Shire, Clarence Valley's day-limit map has no carved-out 365-day 'excluded land' precinct, the whole mapped area is capped uniformly at 180 days.
SEPP (Housing) 2021 s.112(3) separately defines 'excluded land' only in relation to the Byron Shire Short-term Rental Accommodation Area Map (the 365-day town-centre/Brunswick Heads carve-outs). No equivalent 'excluded land' concept is defined for the Clarence Valley Short-term Rental Accommodation Area Map, meaning every parcel inside the Clarence Valley map's heavy black edge is subject to the same 180-day non-hosted cap, there is no higher-cap sub-precinct as there is in Byron. |
Non-hosted | 2021-11-01 | Legislation |
What's changed in Clarence Valley Council
- 2021-11-01 Statewide STRA planning framework (SEPP (Housing) 2021 Part 6) commenced, introducing the 180-day non-hosted cap for land within the Clarence Valley Short-term Rental Accommodation Area Map, alongside the STRA Register, fire safety standard and Code of Conduct. source
Host checklist for Clarence Valley Council
- Non-hosted STRA that exceeds the 180-day cap (or otherwise fails the exempt-development general requirements) inside the mapped precinct falls outside exempt development and needs Clarence Valley Council development consent. official page
- Confirm anything marked below high confidence directly with your council.
Common questions
How many nights a year can I short-term rent in Clarence Valley Council?
Non-hosted STRA is capped at 180 nights per 365-day period, but only on land within the mapped Clarence Valley STRA Area Map precinct. Exceptions: Bookings of 21+ consecutive nights to the same guest(s) don't count toward the 180-day tally. Land outside the heavy-black-edged map area is uncapped.
Do I need council or planning approval to short-term rent in Clarence Valley Council?
Non-hosted STRA that exceeds the 180-day cap (or otherwise fails the exempt-development general requirements) inside the mapped precinct falls outside exempt development and needs Clarence Valley Council development consent. Exceptions: Does not apply to approved tourist/visitor accommodation (hotels, motels, B&Bs, caravan parks) which sit outside the STRA regime entirely.
Related
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